"Is anything the problem, Madam Mu?" Huang Yueqin asked, her brows raised slightly.
However, instead of a reply, the sharp beep of the call disconnecting rang in her ears.
She stared at her phone, dumbfounded.
Did the matriarch of the Ding household just hang up on her?
Huang Yueqin refused to believe it. After a moment of hesitation, she decided that later she would instruct the house butler to investigate if something had gone wrong within the Ding family.
Back at the Dong ancestral mansion, Mu Lin clutched her phone with trembling hands.
Did she just confirm it from the matriarch herself?
Feng Zhi was getting married.
But to whom?
How was that possible—and when did it even happen?
The last time Feng Zhi made a public appearance with a woman was with Dong Bing, and that had been three years ago, before Dong Bing left the country for her studies.
Who could this mysterious woman be?
Mu Lin slowly turned her gaze toward Dong Bing's bedroom. Just imagining her precious daughter's pain made her heart ache.
At that moment, the door opened and Dong Haoran walked in.
Mu Lin hurried toward him.
"You're back," she said gently.
She took his bag from his hand and passed it to one of the servants before Dong Haoran sank heavily onto the couch.
Mu Lin cleared her throat softly and sat beside him.
"Did you speak to Old Master Feng about Dong Bing?" she asked cautiously.
Dong Haoran snorted.
"Old Master Feng has agreed, but that disrespectful brat still hasn't."
Mu Lin pouted slightly and tugged at his arm.
"You should arrange a meeting with him, then. Ah Bing truly wishes to work with him."
Dong Haoran sighed deeply.
"Ah Bing can work in our own company. She should be helping her own family instead of struggling for a stranger."
Mu Lin's lips curved downward even more.
"Ah Bing is still young. It's better for her to gain more experience in other firms."
Dong Haoran let out another heavy sigh.
"I'll try my best with that brat," he muttered.
Mu Lin finally smiled.
If Dong Bing could secure a position in Feng Dynasty, then winning Feng Zhi's heart would be nothing more than child's play.
Ling Mei grabbed her bag in a hurry. She still had important matters to attend to.
Just as she reached the car parked in the company's underground garage, someone blocked the driver's door.
Jun Xinyi.
"Sister Mei, you're in such a hurry," Jun Xinyi said sweetly, though the cunning glint in her eyes betrayed her tone.
Ling Mei sighed inwardly. She wondered what Jun Xinyi was scheming this time.
"What do you want, Jun Xinyi?" Ling Mei asked lazily.
"What do I want?" Jun Xinyi's expression twisted with rage.
"I want to smash that ugly face of yours until it's completely ruined!"
Ling Mei chuckled softly, a careless smirk playing on her lips.
"Do you really want me gone that badly?" she drawled. "I must be quite a pain in your ass."
Jun Xinyi sneered.
"Hmph! You're not just a pain in the ass—you're a full-time, godforsaken bitch!"
Ling Mei laughed again, her tone dripping with sarcasm. She felt strangely relaxed. She had no intention of giving Jun Xinyi the satisfaction of seeing her afraid.
Suddenly, four young models stepped out from the dark corners of the garage.
Each of them held a baseball bat.
Jun Xinyi's lips curled into a satisfied smile.
"I'll deal with you today, Ling Mei," she said coldly.
"You won't even—""All you've said since blocking my way are empty threats, Jun Xinyi," Ling Mei said provocatively.
Of course, she did it on purpose. She wanted to push Jun Xinyi to the edge.
Ling Bao had always warned her: Let your enemy strike first—then use it against them.
Jun Xinyi was instantly enraged. Her face darkened as she barked an order the very next second.
"Get her."
One of the girls charged forward.
The low-grade model stared at Ling Mei with venomous hatred. Hmph. She's not even as beautiful as people make her out to be, she sneered inwardly. The thought of destroying that pretty face made her blood boil.
She raised the bat high and rushed forward, ready to strike.
Ling Mei watched her every movement closely.
Just as the bat came crashing down, Ling Mei lifted her hands to shield her face. The heavy blow landed squarely on her arms instead.
Sharp pain exploded through her body.
She didn't waste time trying to fight back. Facing four women armed with solid wooden bats, she knew she had no chance of winning.
Ling Mei crouched down on the ground, curling into herself, both hands tightly protecting her face.
The four girls didn't stop.
Bats came down again and again, each strike aimed at her face. Ling Mei endured everything, using all her strength to shield herself.
Soon, her hands were drenched in blood.
Her skin tore roughly under the relentless attacks, and she knew—without doubt—that she had suffered serious injuries.
Still, they continued.
Bats slammed into her body, and feet stomped mercilessly against her curled form.
Jun Xinyi watched with undisguised pleasure, a wide smile plastered across her lips as Ling Mei lay on the ground, badly injured.
That was when a deep, low baritone voice thundered through the hallway.
"Who dared to touch my woman?"
The girls froze.
They stopped their actions and turned toward the voice, only to see a tall, muscular figure standing at the entrance.
Before anyone could react—
The lights went out.
Darkness swallowed the entire garage.
Jun Xinyi felt her heart nearly stop.
Slow, steady footsteps echoed as the man walked across the cemented floor.
An unknown fear seized all five women. Their blood ran cold.
On the ground, Ling Mei felt her consciousness slipping away. Her vision blurred, her body trembled, and her eyelids grew unbearably heavy. Unable to resist any longer, she closed her eyes as everything faded into a blank, endless void.
Jun Xinyi felt her soul leave her body.
Staying any longer would destroy her—and her career. That was the last thing she wanted.
"Run!" she screamed, taking off in her heels.
The garage was pitch-dark.
The other low-grade models panicked, fumbling blindly as they tried to escape. Before they could get far, unknown sturdy men emerged from the darkness and restrained them.
Jun Xinyi ran through the parking lot desperately, searching for an exit. In her panic, she slammed into a concrete pillar, crashing hard onto the floor.
She screamed loudly.
Just when she thought she had finally gotten what she wanted—
Ling Mei had once again become a pain in the ass